New Years Eve never took so long to come in my entire life. It was mostly silence at home. Eli would spend his time prepping, meeting with family, as well as filling out his general duties. He met with his family a lot. I think it was his way of saying goodbye. From his avoidance of the topic, I also knew that they didn't want to see me. Why would they? I was a disgrace. Knowing what he did in preparation for New Years Eve made me admire Eli. Knowing that the shame and spiteful words that his family heaped on me would soon be slung onto him as well.

Morning sickness and the general nausea continued. Deep breaths, I'd chant to myself as my vision slurred and the world would tip sideways. Sometimes I'd find myself letting half an hour pass by without even a second thought.

The morning of New Year's Eve was especially ordinary. I slept for most of the day and then when I did wake, took a long shower.

Don't be disappointed if this doesn't work out, I reminded myself.

I spent the day making more snackish foods to tuck into both of our coat pockets; mixed nuts, jerky, apple slices and the like. I tucked away a canteen of warm water by the fire and another one for soup. If we were going to Vancouver, Eli made it sound like we wouldn't be stopping for snacks along the way.

I paced, then I sat, and then I read. My mind splitting off in a hundred different directions. Between the 11 and 13th hour of the night, those on surveillance would be ditching their positions to spend with their family. Surveillance would mostly be automatic; relying on cameras and trigger sensors to alert them to any unusual activity. Aside from that, I knew little.

And that's what made me nervous.

Not the fact that Eli kept me in the dark, but that he hadn't considered every option.

I sighed. Stressing without answer wouldn't help either of us.

Time to make dinner.

A light meal of spiced chicken, carrots and asparagus. It was mostly silent at the table- a late eight pm. Eli had entered with a serious sort of quietness about him.

"Did you talk much with your family today?" I asked quietly, playing with the last of my food.

"Yeah, they're good," He nodded, giving me a weak smile.

I wondered if he was afraid. If he was, I was thankful that he was being strong. My hand overlapped his and I turned it so it was in mine.

"A big year ahead," I spoke softly. He nodded. I wanted to bite my lip.

Come with me, I can't raise this kid on my own.

But I said nothing, and the two of us cleared the dishes with a pregnant silence hanging overhead. The words that needed to be said, unspoken between us.

Eight turned to nine and nine to ten. Somewhere around then, we made the appearance to our neighbours of going to sleep. Like Christmas Eve, mostly everyone would be celebrating in the Village Square. But there would always be eyes hanging about, ears to listen and traps to trip up on.

The two of us held one another, too awake to sleep, too ready. My heart slammed against my chest. This was it. Soon, soon I'd be out, I'd be free.

Three months, had it really been only three months? It felt like I'd endured a lifetime of horrors.

I was ready, it was time to go home.

About half past eleven, Eli pressed his hand to my cheek.

"Is it time?" I whispered.

"Almost," His breath fanned across my cheeks, "I'm just remembering your face,"

A knife twisted in my stomach. Stay with me. I wanted to stay, the words stuck in my throat.

His eyes flickered past me and to the clock illuminated in the moonlight. "Now, now its time,"

The two of us slipped out of the bed, as silently as possible, already dressed in the clothing of our escape. Eli shouldered a bag- my bag, from before. It had my passport, and probably his as well.

We both ducked to the floor as he gave me the first instruction. "I'll leave first, wait five minutes and then head to the Village Square as close as you can without being seen, the forests are monitored so stay as inconspicuous as possible. Once you've reached the Village Square, use the trail behind the Markets to get to the West Entrance. Find a hiding spot in one of the last spots there. I'll pull up the snowmobile, flash the high beams four times. Be careful, the adults will be out partying but the children will be in their homes. So avoid windows. There might be a few drunks going back and forth. Do your best to avoid them or remain as subtle as possible,"

I took in a deep breath and nodded, "Five minutes wait," I whispered, my voice shaky from the adrenaline, "Village Square, trail behind the Markets and head to the West Entrance. Wait at the final stall for four high beam flashes,"

"If I'm not there by the time the fireworks begin to go off, then make your way back here. I've been caught and there'll always be another time when we can try again, okay?"

A lump formed. I nodded, rasping, "Okay,"

Eli sighed, "We're gonna get the two of you home, okay? Just gotta stick to the plan,"

I nodded.

Eli searches my face once again. He leans forwards, pressing his hands to my cheeks, kissing my forehead one final time before pulling back. Immediately, he stands casually and leaves. I pull back into the shadows, shaking, his touch burning into my skin.

Breathe in, breathe out.

The minutes that tick by are agonising. Village Square, final Market stall, wait for four high beams. I nodded to myself, I can do this.

Eventually, the clock ticked 11.42pm. I took my first shaky steps forwards, keeping low. I slung my coat around me, the canteens already full in the deep pockets. With a sense of finality, I gave a final look across the living room. It was a beautiful little spot, but if all went accordingly to plan, I would never see it again.

The wooden kitchen set, the table crafted for eight, the worn leather couch and the hearty fire still flickering tongues of fire.

"Goodbye," I whispered, whispering a quick prayer before making my way out of the door, imitating Eli's confident gait.

The cold was biting at my cheeks. The sky had decided to stall any operation of snow for now. In the distance, I could hear the thrumming fun of the New Year's Celebrations... Community, right?

My footsteps were loud against the snow. The trail that they left was glaringly obvious. This will be interesting.

Making my way up to the Village Square, I kept the hood low over my face. I passed a chatty couple, shivering in an attempt to hide a glance. The Village Square was just over the lip of the path so I took the left towards the Market. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see several bonfires, people chatting and laughing, drink being handed around. Stay focused, I reminded myself, stay steady.

The Market was up ahead. Mostly barren from the late night, a few stalls hung open for late night food and drink. The aisle was probably about a hundred meters long and the further I walked, the further the night quietened. Until I found the last stall. I ducked, crawling underneath the shade and onto the bamboo flooring where I hid under a table.

Now was the waiting game and I allowed myself a small nibble at some of the jerky I'd packed. Sorry Eli.

Ten minutes felt like a hundred and when I finally heard the distant thrums of a snowmobile, I wiggled my way out. To see-

"Marian," A gasped, I turned suddenly.

It was Lou.

Crap.

My stomach dropped, so did her face.

"You're supposed to be under house arrest!" She hissed, she unsheathed a knife, readying into a defensive stance, "for hurting the Hunters,"

"Lou please," I whispered, flipping through my options. Screw Eli for not giving me a weapon to defend myself with.

"No," She hissed, backing away from me, "you're lucky! Y-You got pregnant before any of the other girls, do you know how much I'd give to be like that? You were so lucky! Why would you screw something up like that?"

"Because I wasn't supposed to be here!" I half cried, half whispered, breathing heavily, "you know that! You chose to come here, right? You were led here, right? I wasn't. Not for me."

Lou looked confused, the tip of her knife dropping slightly, "You told me that, I don't get it. What do you mean?"

"I was driving with my friend," My voice was shaking, Eli was coming, I could hear the engine of the snowmobile clearly now, "then suddenly we were rammed off the road, the Community abducted me Lou! I was a test, for Eli. He had to prove his loyalty to the Community by choosing a wife from the outside,"

Lou slowly shook her head, "That doesn't seem right,"

"It's what happened. You've gotta believe me," I insisted, "please,"

Lou shook her head, "I don't get how,"

Eli was two aisles over, Lou would see him any moment now. "You have to believe me, I promise Lou, I just want to go home. I won't say anything to anyone, I swear Lou. All you have to do is just turn around and pretend like you saw nothing,"

Lou was considering it, but she was struggling.

"I-I can't," she shook her head, "I need to protect the Community.

"Then just give us a head start, a few more minutes," I begged.

The air, however frigid, was thick in the moment.

"Please," I whispered, a tear spilling over. She blinked, once, twice and nodded, backing away. I did the same, slowly exhaling a sigh of relief. Soon she melted into the shadows.

The snowmobile behind me pulled up, blinking four times, I ran towards it.

Eli was smiling at me, though it faltered when he saw my face.

"What's up?"

"We need to go, now, they know," He nodded, handing me a black box, half the with of a phone.

"Hold this up in the air, it'll jam the signal of the wireless cameras we pass. We need to drive for about an hour on the switchback roads. The car will be at the main road. We're almost there Marian,"

I nodded, jumping on behind him, one arm wrapped around him and the other, in the air.

I'd ridden a snowmobile one or twice during training. But nothing prepares you for the jerky, breakneck speed at which it flies. Eli wasted no time in setting off. Funnily enough, it was the same road I'd tried to make my honeymoon escape down. As we flew past the spot where I was 'arrested', a grim sort of satisfaction overcame me. We could do this, we were doing this.

It was hard to avoid how incredibly loud the snowmobile was, the kind of noise that echoed across the silent mountaintops. I just hoped we were quick enough ahead of the others, ahead of Lou. The fresh power was perfect for the snowmobile to tear through and it was certain that no standard car would be able to catch up.

We hit the switchbacks; the middle third of our journey. My heart leapt into my throat- this is real now! We're almost there!

Then suddenly-.

A roar behind us, the roar that I'd been expecting for too long now.

"They're onto us!" I shouted, shaking Eli's jacket. It was hard to yell through the helmet but I managed, he nodded, now cutting corners and sometimes cutting down the hairpin turn completely. For a brief moment we almost lost control and Eli stuck to just cutting the corners.

"Gun!" He shouted back. "There's a gun!"

I turned around, dropping the jammer into my pocket. On the seat behind us, was my backpack. I managed to get a glimpse of the convoy behind us. Five, six, no- eight of them bore down on us, spreading out.

Two managed to get ahead by crossing across the switchbacks altogether, these were the guys that I needed to take out. After some digging- almost falling off twice- I managed to find the rifle.

Of course, I've always been a terrible shot, I scowled, doing my best to aim at the lower snowmobile who crossed the path in front of us and disappeared into the trees to my right, it looked like he was hoping to stop us two switchbacks down.

I aimed, breathing in, and fired. Hitting the snow next to him.

Try again. I hissed, readying another shot. He had almost fully disappeared into the trees when I fired again, aiming for the snowmobile below him. He fell; a hit to the side!

I gasped, steadying myself in the seat as Eli sharply turned. There was still another snowmobile, almost beside us. The third another switchback behind and the five others quickly gaining.

"Oh Lord," I whispered, readying my shot, "please help me out here, in Your mighty name, Amen,"

Before I even needed to fire, the snowmobile sped up, looking to cut across the switchback corner. Immediately he went flying, a bolder sticking firmly.

"Thank you!" I almost sung, swinging to level my shot at the third pursuer.

"One more!" Eli called, muffled through the helmet, "we're almost there!"

I spun around, readying my shot at the third pursuer, he was making his way around the corner and levelling into my sights.

"Take this, asshole," I scowled, firing.

Out of nowhere, I was flung, flying from the snowmobile. 

For a second I couldn't breathe. My helmet was full of snow. I pulled it off, throwing it into the snow. The rifle laid a meter away, I seized it, running to the wreckage. Eli was kicking his way out, the snowmobile flipped and smoking in the centre of the road.

I spun around, the pursuers bearing down on us, they were only three switchbacks away. I turned back to the wreckage. It looked like Eli had tried to cut across a switchback to gain some distance. Eli struggled to one knee.

"Marian," He gasped. I looked to his leg, it was twisted and bloody. No way would he be able to run the rest of the way. My stomach sunk, I knew where this was going.

"Come on Eli," I rushed to his side, my voice cracking, "you need to stand, okay? We need to go,"

"Marian listen to me," Eli was breathing heavily, "it's a hundred meters. Run, get to the car, drive as fast and as far as you can, get to Vancouver okay?"

"Eli, I-I can't leave you," I begged. "Eli I can't okay? I need you to be there for me. You need to come!" A hot gush of tears slipped out.

"Marian," Eli grabbed my arm, pulling me closer, "I don't know why I chose you, it felt like it had to be you. But its because you can make it through this okay? You have to. For all of us,"

He leaned forwards, one final kiss.

"Go," he breathed, levelling the rifle before pulling out a ball-shape out of his pocket. "Take the backpack and go. I'll find you,"

I nodded, taking a few delirious steps back before levelling my gaze on the inky blackness ahead. The snow began to fall. It was time to go.

I memorised his face, the helmet beside him, the sweaty blonde curls stuck to his face and the long braid over his shoulder. The blueness of his eyes in the light from the snowmobile.

Till we meet again. I mouthed. Levelling my glare at the road ahead, I began to sprint into the darkness, throwing my arms as fast as I could. I was difficult, my feet sinking several inches into the snow and my energy waned the further I ran. Behind me, the night air was peppered with the sound of bullets and gunfire. They rose in intensity before one final boom.

Some kind of bomb explosion. I stopped, turning to witness the fireball curling into the air. I choked back a sob, Eli.

Keep going, another part of me screamed and I turned back into the distance, my vision blurring with tears. The world slowly lightened into what I recognised as a streetlight.

Almost there. I panted.

Through the light flakes, the form of a streetlight was made clear. It was the side of a road; a toilet stop and an emergency stopping lane and under a few layers of snow was the car. A car passed by, the world outside streaking by.

Key, I spun around, where's the key? I checked my pockets, the backpack.

Where's the stupid key?

A drop of horror spreads through me. Eli must still have it.

Tears spring to my eyes, how could I be so stupid? I had a car without a key and pursuers who were just moments behind. My vision turned to a truck rounding the mountainside bend. An idea formed. I sprinted forwards, a hundred versions of how this could end running through my mind in a Final Destination themed way. I waved my arms wildly, hoping the truck driver wasn't too sleepy.

I was on the road now, waving my arms like a madwoman. Was I going to make it this far just to die now?

Suddenly, a screech of old breaks. He was barreling down towards me, fifty, thirty, twenty. He was still moving too fast! I moved to the middle of the road as he screeched to a stop. I sprinted to the driver's side who was winding down the window.

"Are you cra-."

"Please help me!" I begged, "my boyfriend just tried to kidnap me! I need to get out of here as soon as possible!"

The trucker's face turned to one of concern, he nodded firmly. "Get in,"

"Thank you," My voice trembled, "thank you so much,"

I holstered myself up onto the seat, brushing papers and crumbs away. Before I was buckled in, he was already driving. The single lights turning into a blur as the adrenaline ebbed away.

"Where are we?" I asked quietly, "thank you by the way,"

"Rockies," he replied, his voice gruff, "about three and a half hours from Kamloops which is another four hours from Vancouver,"

"Are you going to Vancouver?" I asked, a tinge of hopefulness in my voice.

He shook his head, "No, but maybe my associate can help you out. Do you need to call anyone?"

He passes me his phone. It trembles in my hand. Who do I call first, my family? The police?

Eli's echoes and insistency on me getting to Australia first echo through my mind. Putting my personal feelings aside, I open flights out of Vancouver. They range from six to eight hundred dollars. That's good enough for me. I know that Eli will have the cash in the backpack and I'll have backup credit on my card (assuming it wasn't frozen).

"Thank you," I whisper, giving him back the phone.

The adrenaline's come and gone. The lights above me blurring into yellow streaks.

I'm safe for now, and that's all that matters. In two hours I'll be in Kamloops and then four hours after that, I'll be catching the next flight out.

I can rest in the meantime. I breathed out.

In, out. Again. In out. Don't think about him. In-.

Ahead of me, blue and red lights light the road.

Maybe not so safe yet.